velvetjo

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Posts posted by velvetjo

  1. Quote

    I think that getting an FAR that specifically mentions us would be cost prohibitive. Think in lines of the cost of a TSO cerification.

    we still benefit however, it's just what should be considered a general rule.

    If everyone needs an official designation as a pedestrian in the sky, then let them pay the fees associated with such, just like traffic laws.

    I'd still pay it, whether it be 10 times the current rate or not.



    You might be thinking of AOPA. They're much more active on this type of airspace access issue. If that's what's important to you, I strongly recommend joining AOPA.

    Aside from a few operating agreements between ATC authorities and/or FSDO's which aren't well publicized to GA pilots, I have yet to see an arrangement that even tries to force the GA population to avoid areas with skydiving operations. Take a look at an IFR chart or GPS database sometime - no skydive warnings on either, just on the sectional charts. This doesn't seem to be a high priority with the FAA.

    Back to the question asked above: what kind of airspace violations are you talking about? If you're reporting tail numbers to the FAA because someone simply overflew your DZ during jump operations in Class E airspace, that's not likely to mean much to them. It is likely to breed animosity with our GA brethren (the same folks who are the core of AOPA's membership - see above).

    USPA has both good and bad points, but they could do a lot better by partnering with organizations like AOPA, EAA, and others on the types of issues you mention. Right now you're probably better off worrying about GA user fees with no value added.

    Lance

    PS - From your profile: what exactly is a "tandem coach"?

  2. Quote

    I've heard some conversations on IAD that went sort of like this, "Real easy dude, just pitch the pilot chute out the door after the student leaves the step."



    That sounds a lot more like a critique of a lazy/sloppy instructor than the technique itself. A SL instructor with a similar attitude would be just as dangerous, no?

    There are definitely tradeoffs between the two techniques. The biggest disadvantages I've seen for SL include:

    - the possibility of rigging errors converting student rigs between SL & freefall configurations

    - more prone to line twists (generally not a big deal, but sometimes leads to panic cutaways)

    - gear transition issues (depends on rigging techniques / student equipment)

    I'm a low time IAD-I, admittedly. Despite that, I've seen a lot of training methods over the years, and I like the way some DZ's include IAD as part of a tandem / IAD / AFF /coach progression. The idea that a student can check their rig the same way for all solo jumps is good consistency and also prepares them well for the rigs they'll be jumping after they're licensed. I'd be more convinced of the danger if IAD students were burning in with bridles wrapped around their appendages, but that doesn't seem to be the case despite a lot of IAD's still being dispatched every year.

    I'm with you in saying that we shouldn't lose the good things as we move forward. It's part of our job to take the best of each technique and give it to our students.

    Lance

  4. Found a variety of nylon screws in a specialty fastener bin at Lowe's. Make sure you bring your mount with you to size them correctly, since there are a few that are very close to one another in diameter and thread count. Don't force it, they should thread with very light pressure. If not, you'll shear the head off during installation.

    One word of caution: I got the bright idea :S to melt the remnants of the old nylon screw out of the mount since I couldn't turn it. This weakened the spring substantially, and it's not trivial to replace it. After a phone discussion with Brent, I ended up just buying a new mount because of my mistake. Thinking back on it, cutting a groove with an Xacto knife and turning the shaft with a jeweler's screwdriver would probably do the trick.

    Lance

  5. Just wondering if anyone has lens recommendations for air to ground stills? I have a Rebel XTi for jumping, and I'd like to be able to use it eventually for paid shoots of construction sites, real estate, etc. from a C-172 or something similar. I'm looking to get my commercial ticket soon, and this seems like another good way to subsidize my flying habit. I get "buddy" requests for this type of thing all the time anyhow, so why not do it right, eh?

    Does image stabilization come into play much for shots like these? I flew with a local aerial photographer a while back who had an egg-shaped grip on the bottom of his digital still, which I'm guessing may have been some type of gyro stabilization. I looked on B&H for something similar, but didn't see anything. Just curious about this due to the combination of engine vibration and distance shots.

    I know this is a bit off topic from skydiving, but figured you guys might have some experience to pass along.

    Thanks,

    Lance

  6. Sorry to hear about your accident. I tore my ACL playing racquetball about 5 years ago, and it took roughly 6 months after the surgery (hamstring graft) for my doc to okay it for jumping. The big obstacle is that the bone has to heal around the new ligament before it is 100%, and that takes time. Tear the grafted ligament out of the bone, and you're back at square one.

    Fortunately, the patience paid off. My replacement ACL has been good to go ever since. I get a little pain in my shin from time to time, but overall I trust it more than my "good" knee. I can ski, play racquetball, jump, etc. without a brace, although I do wear the brace if I'm planning on hitting the bumps while skiing.

    My biggest advice is to find a surgeon with a proven record of solid recoveries. I went through PT with several folks who had ACL replacements by another doc in the same practice as the guy who did mine, and every last one of them had problems. It seems like the docs who focus on sports medicine generally have a better handle on things.

    I also told my PT that I wanted the knee to be stronger than my "good" knee at the end of therapy. They worked me hard, but it was well worth it. Strong muscles will protect your joint from future injuries too.

    There are a few other threads about this, so you might want to do a search and see what other advice is out there. Good luck with your recovery.

    Lance

  8. Here are a couple of shots that I really liked from this past weekend. The first is a tandem opening that framed better than I hoped during a half barrel roll (my still mount is horizontal). The second is a solo Cessna exit just barely after release from the strut. Both were shot with my new 400D, which has been great so far.

    Lance

  10. I'm on the same page as you guys, and I actually prefer the Tv setting too. On the other hand, if I'm rushed and conditions are changing, Sports mode seems like a decent alternative to guessing wrong about Tv settings and getting all crappy shots instead of a few that the Sports mode couldn't handle well. Believe it or not, I did read the manual. I'm just experimenting with everything that this camera can do - which is a good thing, right?

    I get that the flash is trying to compensate for low light conditions, and that I can avoid the error by not test-shooting in darker places (like the back of the Casa). I'm just looking to avoid the error problem in case I'm not smart enough to remember. :P

    My questions are really more about operating this particular camera than learning technique. I do appreciate the advice, though. I'm still learning a lot about photography. Unfortunately, the manual doesn't seem to cover this particular question.

    Piisfish, I'll have to check into the Sports mode again to see if it defaults to flash off on the XTi/400D. I might have had the camera in another mode without realizing it.

    So, does anyone know how to definitively turn off the on-board flash?

    Lance

  11. Got a Canon Rebel XTi recently, and I've been playing with various settings to see what I like for freefall photography. I'm leaning toward the Tv mode with tweaks for various lighting conditions, but I ran into something interesting (and not in the good sense) whille playing with the auto modes to see what they can do.

    Here's the problem: in both Sports and Full Auto modes, the on-board flash occasionally tries to pop up and the camera goes into an error mode because I have it taped down to avoid ripping it off accidentally. This happened twice while I was test shooting near the back of a Casa just before the door opened, so there wasn't much time to figure it out. I eventually reset the camera (on the ground) by removing and reinserting the battery, and on the second jump figured out that cycling the on/off switch while the error message was still on the LCD worked too.

    I'm looking for a way to avoid this error completely, so I researched the manual to see how to turn off the flash in Sports mode, the only auto mode I'll probably ever use in freefall. I couldn't find a way to do this - does anyone know if it is possible?

    Also, from what I've seen in the Tv mode menus, the on-board flash is off unless set to on in the white balance menu. This seems like it avoids the error completely, which is yet another reason to use Tv over Sports mode. Can any of you folks with more SLR experience verify this?

    Thanks,

    Lance

  12. Our standard tandem video requires lots of on-camera fades. This isn't too big of a deal for the folks with PC-series cameras with fade buttons, but my HC-40 required a little creativity to achieve the same result. I jump a BH Optik with a BH d-box. I'm guessing your HC-32 / FF2 will require something similar.

    I started by figuring out how to turn off the LCD screen and which areas of the screen to tap to turn on/off and change fades. Once I had the sequence, it really came down to pressing two spots: the bottom left and center right of the screen, so I drilled two holes in the left side of my d-box. The holes are just big enough for my gloved finger to tap the screen, which is left facing outward for this purpose.

    I'm not a fan of lots of fades, favoring straight cuts, but the DZ wants black, mosaic, and overlap fades on every video. It's not too bad once you get used to it, but the LCD screen doesn't give much tactile feedback for the times when you're trying to set a fade with the helmet on.

    Black fades in or out should be pretty simple using this method. Whenever possible, use the viewfinder to confirm your fade settings. A cameye II will also indicate that the tape is reversing for an overlap fade, which can be helpful.

    Have fun fading,

    Lance

  13. You're completely ignoring any effects of turbulence, and making some big assumptions about: the jet's boundary layer thickness, the drag forces experienced at much higher velocities, and the velocity profile within the jet. Do a little reading about clear air turbulence (CAT) and jetstreams - you might find some stuff that makes you change your opinion.

    Lance

  14. Quote

    This is the way its been done at both DZs that I've dispatched students at, and I've done several hundred without any incidents, and never heard of any incidents. It certainly could happen, but it shouldn't be an issue with an experienced instructor.



    Caveat: low time IAD-I here.

    Just like I don't do electrical work on "hot" equipment by choice, I'll opt to close the door when handling a pilot chute for an IAD unless there's a compelling reason not to do so. Look at how many incidents have been avoided by lockout/tagout procedures in industry and construction - statistically, the added risk will catch up with you eventually no matter how careful you are. It's all about proactively managing the energy in a system, and closing the door is basically the same thing - controlling the energy from the relative wind.

    So, what's a compelling reason to keep the door open? I'll buy jump plane with no door as an equipment constraint, but beyond that I need some convincing.

    Lance

  15. The winds don't always do what you expect, so I wouldn't plan on any specific landing area from a balloon. On our way to 6,000' feet last summer, we moved at least three distinct horizontal directions during the climb. You're just along for the ride, and the "pilot" reminds me more of an elevator operator / crash landing specialist.

    If you want to do a demo legally into your backyard, you need to comply with FAA demo requirements. If you don't care about keeping it legal, that's on you to figure out.

    If you just want to jump into your backyard, have a friend put out a large banner with the words "FREE BEER" facing up just before you get on the sunset load. You'll probably even get a really good spot for it. Expect lots of company. :)
    Lance

  16. You might want to try Bev Suits. They did a nice job converting my old Bev RW suit to a camera suit with booties and other mods, and paid lots of attention to getting the details of the conversion the way I wanted them. It's been a couple of years, but I've heard nothing but good about their suits in the meantime.

    The only thing I'd recommend different for their camera suit is extra reinforcement at the wing attachment points if you're a big boy. I'm 255 out the door on a good day, and I managed to rip one of the wing attachments off the leg last summer. Granted, I do hang a lot of weight on those big wings...

    Good luck with your search,

    Lance

  17. Quote

    I'm looking to the pic of the 206 upsidedown I landed in, wasn't a chewed up dog turd...but then again, enough so to deep 6 the nose gear. :(



    That's no fun. :o Maybe it was just a regular dog turd?

    182's typically aren't a huge deal on grass if you keep the nose light. 206's have a reputation for being more nose-heavy, but I haven't flown one so I don't know firsthand. I learned in a 150, several 172's and a 182 from an 1800' grass strip, and I'm glad I trained there.

    I don't know many pilots who train for soft and short takeoffs or landings, but the reality of grass strips (and lots of other places a jump pilot might be forced to land) often requires this hybrid technique. It's a shame that so many insurance companies & FBO's prohibit landings on grass. That's almost as bad as the chief instructor at an FBO near here who thinks 3000' of asphalt is a short runway... :S

    Lance

  19. Insurance companies charge a lot for insuring Porters too. An expensive turbine aircraft that's susceptible to being ground-looped isn't a good combination for low rates.

    If I were looking to open a DZ, I'd consider the minimum requirements of several different jump aircraft before settling on a runway length. Same goes for the runway surface - which models can operate most efficiently from grass, gravel, or paved surfaces?

    Lance

  21. Thanks for the responses! I'll definitely be treating this canopy with respect. Kinda like landing a taildragger in a gusty crosswind, eh? Keeps ya sharp. :P

    I'm interested in the "opens too slow" comment - what kind of altitude loss during opening would you guys consider to be unacceptable for this canopy?

    Lance

  22. I've got a Katana 170 on the way, and I wondered if any of you camera flyers had tips for transitioning to it from a Stiletto 190 (have ~300 jumps on that)? I put a bunch of jumps on Sabre2 170's and Stiletto 170's last season during back-to-back loads, so I'm already comfortable with the wing loading.

    I've read a bunch of stuff on here and talked to local jumpers who've demo'd Katanas. AggieDave's big Katana review was particularly helpful. My initial thoughts are to be more conservative on pull altitudes and spot distances because of the longer openings and reduced glide characteristics. I also want to do some high hop & pops to get used to the longer recovery arc for turns. Anything else that Katana jumpers can recommend? Anything specific to camera jumps that is good or bad?

    Looking forward to this canopy, it sounds like a lot of fun to fly.

    Lance

  23. Pretty much anything by Cormack McCarthy is a good bet in fiction. Karl Hiassen is another fiction writer to check out, his style is a lot lighter than McCarthy.

    For non-fiction, Thomas Friedman's The Lexus and the Olive Tree or The World is Flat are worth a listen.

    Lance

  24. Start with the IRM, you can order it from USPA. You'll need a recent copy of the SIM as well. Read all of the coach stuff in the IRM, including the evaluation forms. The eval forms will tell you a lot about what to expect during the course.

    Teach a bunch of FJC's at your DZ before you go to the course (under supervision, of course). Do practice evals with instructors acting as students before the course. Get good at giving signals and remembering what the "student" did. Practice debriefs. Do lots of gear checks before the course.

    Read the IRM again. Do the written test before the course. Figure out the differences between the ISP and your DZ's instruction program - the ISP is what the course is supposed to be based on. Practice teaching the jump categories in the SIM that are applicable to coaches.

    Jump 2-ways with newbies to get used to erratic flying & badly timed exits. Set a breakoff altitude for these jumps that matches the evals.

    Don't forget to have fun too!

    Lance

  25. Here are a couple more:

    - sacrificing your body landing hard after barely clearing a treeline on a long spot with industrial haze and a borrowed rig for back-to-back (of course) all to get the landing shot

    - watching the faces of the next tandems and their families as the TM bar-tacks your wing back on (ripped off during the landing above) while you're replacing the shattered filter on your 35mm

    - trying to hang from an icy wing strut

    - actually starting to like marginal weather conditions because there's more room in the plane without the fun (smart?) jumpers

    On a side note, the closest thing I can figure to camera jumps for complexity in aviation is an instrument approach. Nothing else I've encountered requires as much multitasking and precision. Other jumpers who are experienced pilots seem to agree. But I'm still having fun with it!

    Lance